While attending a crime scene on the outskirts of Maidstone, DI Kay Hunter makes a shocking discovery.

The victim has been brutally cut to pieces, his identity unknown.

When more body parts start turning up in the Kentish countryside, Kay realises the disturbing truth – a serial killer is at large and must be stopped at all costs.

With no motive for the murders and a killer who has gone undetected until now, Kay and her team of detectives must work fast to calm a terrified local population.

When a third victim is found, her investigation grows even more complicated.

As she begins to expose a dark underbelly to the county town, Kay and her team are pulled into a web of jealousy and intrigue that, if left unchecked, will soon claim another life.

Sixth addition to the series and it still feels fresh like the first one! (Pss, pss, by the way you can read this as a standalone but DON’T DO THAT! You’ll miss the fun)

Rachel Amphlett is one of the best things that has happened in my life. I thank all the stars in the whole universe for making our paths cross. I would have missed on such great books if I haven’t met Rachel. All of Rachel’s books are addictive reads and Gone to Ground is no less. From the first chapter, we dive straight into action. I love how Rachel casually builds up the tension and BOOM! she drops a bomb. And, funny enough, I find myself waiting for that particular moment. Rachel has this amazing skill of delaying the pleasure of discovery with a bit of extra detail or backstory – which sometimes made my brain shout – Come on! Just tell me what the woman saw! – and I absolutely loved it! I felt pity for the witnesses who found the said severed pieces. The description even made me gulping down my bile. As I would read their part I would say to myself – Oh! You don’t know what Rachel has in store for you. I loved how the writing flowed in this book. For some reason I felt it was more polished and fine-tuned than the other books, placing it a step ahead. There is a balance in the narrative, with subtle comic reliefs sprinkled throughout the book, making it easy for me to continue reading. It gave much needed breaks to the characters and me as a reader.

The characters! I don’t know what to say about them. I love them all! The series should be called ‘Kay Hunter and Co. series’ because that’s how it feels! They all are in this together, through thick and thin. I love the interaction and banter they share, makes me feels that I’m there too! That’s a major plus point to Rachel. You’ll realise this if you read the series in order, the characters are growing and evolving with each new addition to the series. They don’t feel stagnant and with every book you get see a new side to them. Also, plus one more point to Rachel for letting Adam bring in a miniature goat this time. And I think I might be developing a crush on Ian Barnes.

The plot just kept me on the hooks! I simply couldn’t guess who the serial killer was and what was the motive. It was only when Rachel decided to let the readers know that’s when I actually connected the dots. I loved how Kay and Co kept hitting dead-ends but still strove through and saw that they catch the killer.

I have to say. With every new addition to this series, I feel a bit anxious. What if I don’t like this book? What if it doesn’t create the impact on me as its predecessors have? Now that I have read the sixth book in the series, I can say that I am not disappointed at all! I don’t know how Rachel does this, but she does it again. On that note, I just realised that she has just entered my list of authors who never disappoint me and let me tell you – there are some big names there. You might have heard this name in my posts – Agatha Christie – heard of it? Yup!

Final Verdict:

Gone to Ground by Rachel Amphlett gets 5 out of 5 stars from me.

Thank you to author Rachel Amphlett for providing me with the e-book.

If you want to read my reviews to the other Rachel Amphlett books you can click the following:

Before turning to writing, Rachel Amphlett played guitar in bands, worked as a TV and film extra, dabbled in radio as a presenter and freelance producer for the BBC, and worked in publishing as a sub-editor and editorial assistant.

She now wields a pen instead of a plectrum and writes crime fiction and spy novels, including the Dan Taylor espionage novels and the Detective Kay Hunter series.

Originally from the UK and currently based in Brisbane, Australia, Rachel cites her writing influences as Michael Connelly, Lee Child, and Robert Ludlum. She’s also a huge fan of Peter James, Val McDermid, Angela Marsons, Robert

Bryndza, Ken Follett, and Stuart MacBride.

She’s a member of International Thriller Writers and the Crime Writers Association, with the Italian foreign rights for her debut novel, White Gold sold to Fanucci Editore’s TIMECrime imprint, and the first four books in the Dan Taylor espionage series contracted to Germany’s Luzifer Verlag.

Her novels are available in eBook, paperback and audiobook formats from worldwide retailers including Amazon, iBooks, Kobo, and Google Play.

A keen traveller, Rachel holds both EU and Australian passports and can usually be found plotting her next trip two years in advance!